01/05/2014 BBC Oxford News

connection with a murdering Belfast back in the 1970s. That is all from

Hello and welcome to South Today the BBC News At

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford. In tonight's programme:

Modern slavery, a Government minister's in Oxford promising new

legislation to protect victims and prosecute the perpetrators. Also,

tunnelling under the capital, we look at the impact of Crossrail on

rail travellers from the Thames Valley. Early alarms clocks and

plenty of dancing. It can only be May morning, we'll have a round`up

of today's celebrations. And later on, counting the flowers, how

flooding has affected wildlife in Iffley Fields.

Good evening. A Home Office minister's been in Oxford today

promising tougher action, and longer prison sentences, for those involved

in people trafficking and the exploitation of the young and

vulnerable. It's an issue which, until recently, probably didn't

figure highly in the minds, or plans, of our public bodies or

police. But that changed when seven men were jailed last year for the

sexual grooming and abuse of young girls in Oxford. This evening, the

minister, Karen Bradley, has been telling a conference that new

legislation is on the way, with serious consequences for those who

are caught. Jeremy Stern reports. Karen Bradley is the Minister for

organised slavery and organised crime. I am having a discussion and

meeting those agencies involved in helping people who have been

trafficked or exploited. I am interested to hear from them where

they think there might have been problems. She spoke at Regents Park

College where there was an exhibition on historical slavery.

These days it is not about men in chains being sold to the highest

bidder, it is more likely to happen in secret. Here in Oxford dozens of

young girls were exploited by older men, that is a form of modern

slavery. Earlier this year this man and his brother were sentenced to a

total of 95 years. They are calls for stronger deterrents. You have

got to be on your guard that it is happening all the time. I think the

government taking it seriously encourages everyone else to take it

seriously as well. The modern slavery Bill goes towards Parliament

later this year. DNA testing has confirmed that a human bone found in

a Cotswold beauty spot IS part of the body of a murdered Swindon

woman, whose remains were found nearby in 2011. Wiltshire Police had

been conducting a re`investigation of the case of Becky Godden`Edwards

when the bone was recovered three weeks ago. The rest of her body was

originally located in a shallow grave. Detectives had been led to

the scene by Swindon cab driver Christopher Halliwell. He was later

jailed for the murder of another local woman, Sian O'Callaghan. An

inquest in Oxford has heard how a university student found dead in a

tent on Port Meadow took his own life by inhaling a poisonous gas.

Andrew Kirkman's body was found by a passer by in early December. The

area was initially cordoned off because of concern his death might

have been due to a chemical leak. The coroner was told that the

Balliol College student had recently been diagnosed with depression.

Andrew's parents and college paid tribute to "an amazing young man".

HS2 has generated more headlines, and courted more controversy but

Crossrail is another massive rail infrastructure project that's

already well underway. It's likely to have a far greater impact on the

majority of rail commuters from the Thames Valley. Within five years,

passengers will be able to board a train at Reading, and travel to the

heart of London, without stopping at Paddington OR swapping to the Tube

system. Our transport correspondent Paul Clifton's been to see progress

on the route beneath the Capital. Going underground. This is where

Crossrail services from reading will disappear beneath west London. For a

decade it seemed reading people would be denied direct services

through this tunnel. Suddenly, last month, there was a change of heart.

This is where the trains that come in from Berkshire entered the

tunnels. This is the central section of the tunnels that take all the

trains into central London. There will be two trains per hour into

central London in addition to the other services that already exist.

It will also help the increasing flow of people the other way. It

means reading can become a destination in its own right. People

of reading and Twyford will have more choice. This is where Crossrail

trains will whisk people from reading right through to central

London and beyond. At Paddington a new Crossrail station is being

built. ?15 billion is the largest construction project in Europe. It

will take 15 minutes to reach London while the new intercity trains take

half that time. It will be a high urban service, no toilets and now

catering. But for many comic taking one direct train straight to work

right through here will be very popular. Campaigners are trying to

stop a badgers' set from being destroyed by a housing development

near Oxford. The animals are currently located on land in

Kidlington but a local firm wants to build at least one property in the

same area. They've applied for a license from Natural England to

relocate the animals to an artificial set. We think the badger

set has probably been there for over 100 years but there are records

going back to at least 30. It is one of the largest sets we have seen in

the county and at least nine badgers or probably more. Thousands of

people set an early alarm this morning ` or didn't go to bed at all

` so they could be part of the traditional May Morning celebrations

in Oxford city centre. Magdalen Choristers sang hymns from the top

of the college tower at 6am, whilst morris dancers helped to keep the

party going throughout the morning. Tom Turrell reports. 6am on May one

and on the roof of the Tower the choir saying to people below. As the

singing stops and the bells rang out, the party is far from over.

After celebrations finish in the Tower revellers head here to join in

with the Morris dancers. It is thought around 5000 people turned

out with businesses opening early to cope with the extra demand. At half

past eight in the morning for most the party is over. Try telling that

to these guys. It is all about having fun, meeting people and

dancing throughout the day. For the last few years I did not bother with

dressing up at this year I thought I would go for it. You did not have to

be dressed up to enjoy it but this former England footballer joined in.

It is great, traditional and lots of students around. It is a great day.

In the past people jumped from model and bridge but this year in the name

of safety it has not happened. The atmosphere is still there and it is

really beautiful once that Quire starts singing. While warding off

evil spirits what the priority for some, others will be only concerned

with warding off a hangover. A new initiative has been encouraging

children to get involved with fishing. More than 50 school pupils

have been trying their hand at Farmoor reservoir. They've also been

learning about the eco`system, and even been cooking some of their

catch. The day was organised by the charitable wing of the Countryside

Alliance That's all from me for the moment. Now lets get more stories

from our region with Sally Taylor. this evening's South Today... Roger

Finn is once again, out and about. Join me in this meadow near Oxford

to hear the story of these little fellas and why some volunteers are

trying to count them all. It's the Government's attempt to turn the

lives of so`called 'troubled' families around ` those with a

history of crime, substance abuse and long`term unemployment. But,

just under two thirds of the way through the 'Troubled Families

Programme', BBC South can reveal that councils in our region are

struggling to meet government targets. So far, Hampshire has

successfully helped just a quarter of the number of families they are

expected to. Dorset has managed a third. On the Isle of Wight just one

in ten families identified has been helped. And in Bournemouth, only

eight per cent. MPs have already admitted that the scheme is unlikely

to hit its targets. In a special report, Lewis Coombes met one family

going through that programme to see how they've fared. Some of the

scenes you are about to see, you might find upsetting. We have

protected the identity of the family, who have been portrayed by

actors. What have you been doing with the children again? ! It is

your responsibility. I was in a bad relationship and I broke up. Caught

up in a cycle of despair. I was suffering from depression and I

needed drugs first being, before anything else. Everything at home

got into a mess. Not paying bills, my son was not going to school. A

local mother who found herself trapped by depression, drugs and

deprivation. It proved very difficult to find a family willing

to be interviewed. The message that came back was, I do not want to be

labelled as troubled. An insight into the challenge faced by the

scheme perhaps. I was going downhill and did not want to be here any

more. I did not want to do that because I had a son. The government

identified a son. The government identified who had a similar story,

each with their own problems, and each estimated to cost taxpayers

money. For local authorities, there is a financial reward on offer.

Every family said to have been turned around, they are paid up to

?4000. Do you know where your children were this morning? A key

worker is parachuted in to coordinate help. The impact of

having someone worked closely with the families, the way we do, has a

long`term impact on behaviour. As I say, it comes from the family and

not from people telling them what they need to do. It comes from the

family, recognising what they need to change. The objectives are clear.

Reduce crime, get people back into work and back to school, and we will

reward you. Will that work in the long term? Whenever local

authorities have been asked to identify troubled families, they

have been asked to use measures including unemployment, drugs and

not attending school and anti`social behaviour. Not the criteria we have

used. Success will be judged on whether targets have been met, but

ultimately, targets do not matter to the families whose lives are

improved. It is good to have a second chance and to get out of the

situation I was in, and to get better and have a better life. A

little earlier, I spoke to Louise Casey, who runs the Troubled

Families scheme. I began by asking her if labelling them as troubled

families was in itself causing a problem in reaching their targets.

No, I do not think it is and this is where we have to be straightforward.

These families do not get their children to school, they are caught

up in crime, and are causing crime in the community. They are out of

work and many people would say that using the word troubled about them

is a gentle expression. We need is to be honest and that is the most

important thing. Why do the local authorities have low targets that

were set? Bournemouth only has 8%. Some regions are struggling but the

key thing is that this is a difficult thing to get them to do.

Changing families is hard but you have to change the system. Some of

the areas in your region were slow to get going whereas other areas

were running family intervention projects and all they had to do was

get bigger. To be honest, places like Hampshire, Portsmouth and

others are motoring and we have seen a big increase in the last six

months, even in areas such as Portsmouth and Hampshire. I do have

some worries about Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight but we are feeling

optimistic. You can applaud the initiative but on the basis of this,

would you change anything with the targets if the scheme is to

continue? I do not think I word. Out of 125,002 we targeted help, we

already have the names and addresses of hundred and addresses of 111,000

families. Nobody thought this was possible in the beginning and here

we are today to say that we have turned around 45,000 families. We

have identified a. I feel confident. These families cost a lot of money

and cause problems. Very briefly, it is challenging to get the families

on board because not everybody wants to participate in that scheme. That

is right and that is where a tough level approach is needed. People are

forced to take help. We do not give up, we keep going round until they

open the front door. We threaten them with eviction and criminal

prosecutions. People wake up at that moment and take help. In sport, Andy

Awford was confirmed as Portsmouth football club's permanent manager

today. The 41`year`old has signed a one year rolling contract. As our

sports editor Tony Husband reports, he was the stand out choice to

replace Richie Barker after an impressive spell as caretaker, in

which he's steered Pompey to football league safety. Andy Awford

was smiling from day one in the Portsmouth job. He asked his players

to do the same and has turned Pompey's fortunes around in

remarkable fashion. It is no surprise that he was named permanent

manager today. The spirits needed lifting and reigniting which we

managed to do. I think the city is smiling again and long may it

continue. Since he came in, he has lifted everybody. The training has

been more intense, as you can see in the victories we have and the

performances we have made. Everybody is just happy to stop it is a shame

we could not do that earlier in the season. How things have changed in

Fratton Park. Five winds and a draw from his six games in charge. ``

five winds. I was confident we would stay up but the standard there lads

have met has been terrific and I cannot thank them enough. What is

the long`term challenge? There is no reason why this club cannot go for

the championship soon. That is a realistic target. Let's just make

sure we have a football club first! That's not forget how close we were

to their not being one. Andy Awford has ensured he got the job on his

own terms. The reconstruction of Portsmouth Football Club feels

underway. More sport from Tony tomorrow. Remember the winter? That

wild, wet winter? One of the worries at the time was about long term

damage to the countryside from the storms and the flooding. For this

week's Finn's Country, Roger Finn has been to a protected flower

meadow near Oxford. For much of the winter it was underwater ` and there

were fears that some rare and precious flower bulbs may simply

have rotted away. As the Thames flows out of Oxford, not too far

from the hustle and bustle, suddenly all is green and tranquil. And this

is where you'll find Iffley Meadows ` home to the county flower of

Oxfordshire. This is the jewel that makes these meadows so special. It

is the snakes head fritillary. It is also known as the lepers L. The task

today is to count them all. I've joined a group of volunteers with

the Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust which has been

managing e meadows since 1983. `` the meadows. Every year in the

Spring, there's a careful survey to see just how many fritillaries have

bloomed. We want to know how big an impact the winter had. Quite a few

in the middle there. This is an old`fashioned flood plain meadow

with low management work needed. When we took over the site, the

number of fritillaries were very low. The first count was 500 and the

numbers rose to a peak in 2011 of 76,000. An incredible number. The

count is going up within that general trend although there are

blips due to the weather. Yes, the weather. We had some real weather

this winter and this place must have suffered. What were the worries? I

live a couple of minutes away and I came down here a lot. This meadow

was a lake. The seven weeks of flooding was too much but before we

finished the count, we have no idea. So every flower head must be

counted. A rare double headed white ` a good sign. After each

painstaking sweep, everyone's total is recorded. The final sum will be

done later. Fritillaries have disappeared as meadows have

disappeared. They only thrive here thanks to careful management. Cattle

graze here from July through to September and that is just to nibble

away at anything else that has grown. If you do not cut the site or

graze it, it would get dominated by the grasses and rushes which would

impede all the flowers. People are so passionate about wildlife still.

It lives on because many people are so young. You have to concentrate,

don't you? Yes, you do, or you can forget how many you have counted! We

had to wait a few days to hear the result but it was surprisingly good

news. Despite the flood, 86,000 snake's head fritillaries were

counted at Iffley. And that's the highest total ever. And there's

more. At the Rural Life Centre near Farnham, Roger found some of the

strange tools used in the past and he's been challenging us to guess

what they are. Last week's item looked a lot like a carpenter's

rasp...but it wasn't. Here's Roger to reveal the answer. Hearings last

week's object. A wooden handle and a metal plate. It was used by bakers

for scraping of burnt bits of bread. Here is this week's object. An odd

looking bottle with a couple of holes in it. It is probably not what

you think it is. Have a guess on our Facebook page and we will tell you

the answer next week. I was thinking of something else. A bank holiday

looming, what is the weather? Today, we have had some hefty showers and a

lot of rain around. A beautiful picture of a swan guarding the nest

at Mill Stream in Christchurch. Paul even captured the raindrops falling

in that shot. More raindrops hanging from these blubells in Abingdon.

Thanks to Becca Collacott for that one. Some hefty showers to be had in

the next hour or so and we have a yellow weather warning in place,

valid in 8pm. We will see those showers gradually fading, so by 9pm,

much of the region will become dry with a couple of spots of rain here

and there. On the radar, you can see the heavy bursts earlier today. Here

is the pocket where we have one or two heavy downpours to be had. They

are easing away through the evening and it will become drier. A cloudy

night with hill fog and temperatures falling to seven or eight degrees. A

mild night with a few spots of rain. A murky start as we go into Friday.

Yes, a gloomy one first thing and we could still see a little bit of web

weather, so perhaps some wet weather appearing for eastern parts. `` wet

weather. Elsewhere, a dry picture. Temperatures of 13 or 14 degrees.

Gradually, into the evening, the cloud will thin and break, and

eventually clear away. Staying dry through tomorrow night but with

clear skies we are expecting widespread frost. Temperatures of

three or four in the towns and cities, and cooler in rural spots,

at `1 or `2. A chilly start to the bank holiday weekend but we have

high pressure in charge. Some good dry sunny conditions to come through

Saturday and indeed, through much of the weekend which Saturday, a decent

day with some lovely sunny skies. Warming up as well. Hazy sunshine

with highs of 13 or 14 degrees. Temperatures gradually inching up

with a bank holiday weekend. Sunday looks to be another dry day

predominantly with some sunny spells on offer. Temperatures are running

once more on Monday and some warm, sunny spells as well. `` rising once

more. He was a taster of Monday's show. Join me as I revisit brief

Encounter, 70 years on. A tremendous film and we will enjoy seeing that

tomorrow. Thank you for watching this evening. Bye`bye. Goodbye.

'The last two generations have been robbed of an opportunity

'And yet it has greater impact on our everyday lives than anything

'We need to put this issue to bed now,

'and not leave it for another generation.'

I want a Britain that is free to control its own destiny.

'another three million people in Britain by 2020.

'Our public services are already stretched.